European Aircraft Industry: Iran in talks to buy 48 Airbus helicopters

Airbus Helicopter

Iran is holding talks with European planemaker Airbus to buy 48 helicopters for civilian use, an Iranian official was on Saturday quoted as saying, as Iran continues its shopping spree of Western aircraft after the lifting of sanctions.

"The Health Ministry is planning to order 45 HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) helicopters and the purchase is being negotiated by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development," Iran's Financial Tribune daily quoted Deputy Minister Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan as saying.

"Ports and Maritime Organization is also planning to hold a tender to purchase three search-and-rescue helicopters," he added. 

An Airbus Helicopters spokesman said: "We don't comment on discussions we may or may not be having with potential customers".

Read more: Iran in talks to buy 48 Airbus helicopters: report

European Aircraft Industry: Iran expects Airbus deliveries before 2017

Iran says it expects the first deliveries of Airbus planes to be made by the end of 2016 provided that the United States provides the required authorizations for the deliveries.

“The first series of Airbus planes will probably arrive in Iran by the end of autumn provided that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) [of the US Treasury Department] issues the required authorization to Airbus to do so,” said Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi.

Akhoundi added that there is no reason that the deal with Airbus – as well as another with Boeing – will not proceed.

He emphasized that Iran is positive that OFAC will issue the authorizations for Airbus to deliver the plans that Iran has purchased from the company.

Akhoundi further said that the deal with Airbus is above 500 pages and contains many technicalities, adding that a majority of technical issues relating to the deal have already been finalized.

The Iranian minister also said that talks over the financial issues are in final stages.

In January, Iran signed a major contract with European aviation giant Airbus worth about $27 billion to buy 118 planes within the next few months. The contract was signed during the visit to Paris by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.

Iran also sealed a deal in June worth around $25 billion with the US aerospace heavyweight, Boeing, for the purchase of 100 passenger planes.

The deal with Boeing is still facing a possible ban by Congress in what many see as a result of the growing anti-Iran measures adopted by US lawmakers.

Iran is also working on a scheme to purchase planes from the aviation arm of Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.  Officials in Tehran recently announced that Tokyo has agreed to fund Iran’s purchase of Mitsubishi planes.

Note EU-Digest:  Strange that Airbus, a European company needs the approval from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) - US Treasury Department to OK and finalize the deal. How Who gave the US the right to bypass European Sovereignty in this mega airplane sale ?

Read more: PressTV-Iran expects Airbus deliveries before 2017

European Aircraft Industry: Airbus 9-mth orders top 1,000 aircraft, beating target

Airbus A35=900

Airbus orders rose to more than 1,000 aircraft in the first nine months of the year, beating its target for 2013, after the planemaker booked a raft of orders which had been pending from European airlines.

However, its order book was dented by the cancellation of three A380 superjumbos earmarked for Germany's Lufthansa , which this month ordered a batch of smaller long-distance aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing.

Lufthansa's order for the world's largest passenger jet now stands at 14, of which 10 have been delivered.
A spokesman for the airline said the orders had been "firm options," meaning they needed to be reconfirmed to be valid.

Airbus, a unit of EADS, revised its order target up to more than 1,000 aircraft in July, as airlines continue to renew their fleets with more efficient models to reduce fuel costs. Industry sources have said Airbus is aiming for as many as 1,200 orders.

Read more: UPDATE 1-Airbus 9-mth orders top 1,000 aircraft, beating target | Reuters

Aircraft Industry: Delta chooses Airbus over Boeing for 40 plane order - by Karen Jacobs

Airbus A321

Delta Air Lines Inc announced an order for Airbus jets on Wednesday worth almost $6 billion at list prices, softening its reliance on Boeing for the first time in two decades as it looks for plane bargains.

The order, crowning a months-long competition between the transatlantic plane-making rivals, includes 30 A321 narrowbody planes to be used on domestic flying as well as 10 A330-300 widebody aircraft for international routes. Deliveries will be between 2015 and 2017.

The list price for the deal is $5.6 billion, but analysts said Delta may have won a steep discount after holding out longer than most of its rivals for lower prices as Europe's Airbus seeks to expand recent successes in Boeing's home market.

"I would be surprised if Delta didn't get a phenomenally good deal," said Adam Pilarski, senior vice president at U.S.-based aviation consultants Avitas.

Both the aircraft types and the delivery schedule - between 2015 and 2017 when both major plane makers are keen to keep up production of existing models before switching to new variants - underscores the probability of competitive pricing, he said.

Read more: Delta chooses Airbus over Boeing for 40-plane order - chicagotribune.com

European Aircraft Industry: SAS: 12-plane order with Airbus includes A350-900s

Scandinavian airline SAS announced Tuesday it plans to order 12 new Airbus aircraft. The deal would be worth $3.3 billion at list prices, though airlines typically negotiate significant discounts with big jetmakers Airbus and Boeing.

SAS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) — short of a firm order — for eight A350-900 and four A330-300 planes as part of a renewal of its long-haul fleet.

The deal also includes upgrades of seven older A330 and A340 widebodies and an option to purchase another six A350 aircraft.

SAS said the A330s will be delivered in 2015 and the A350s in 2018.
Despite the MOU, as opposed to a firm order, SAS sent out an e-mail to its frequent-fliers touting the new jets.

Read more: SAS: 12-plane order with Airbus includes A350-900s

Flightglobal: Airbus and partners gear up for A350 production - by Max Kingsley-Jones

For the complete report from Flightglobal click on this link

Airbus and partners gear up for A350 production - by Max Kingsley-Jones

Airbus and its programme partners across Europe and the USA are gearing up for the launch of A350 XWB production with the construction of factories or extensions to existing infrastructure.The bulk of A350 production will be undertaken by Airbus's European plants - including the factories it has hived off into the French and German standalone divisions Aerolia and Premium Aerotech, respectively. Construction began in January of the A350's flagship final assembly line adjacent to the A330/A340 complex in Toulouse, and the building of new factories for the twinjet is under way elsewhere in France, in Germany, Spain and the UK, as well as in the USA.

Guardian: taly's Air One orders Airbus planes for $4.8 bln - by Deepa Babington

For the complete report from the Guardian click on this link

Italy's Air One orders Airbus planes for $4.8 bln - by Deepa Babington

Tiny Italian airline Air One has ordered 24 planes from European plane maker Airbus for $4.8 billion as it expands its long-haul flight offerings to the United States and the Far East. The deal is the second major order for Airbus in a week after Gulf Air placed a $4.5 billion order for 35 single aisle and widebody aircraft last week. Air One also has an option to buy another 20 planes for about $3.8 billion.

Air One has been steadily building up its operations while ailing rival Alitalia loses market share and risks bankruptcy due to the continuing strain of high oil prices, tough competition and frequent labour strikes.

Gulf Daily News: $28bn deals for Airbus

For the complete report from the Gulf Daily News click on this link

$28bn deals for Airbus

Airbus received 163 firm orders valued at over $28 billion at catalogue prices, from 10 customers at the 10th Dubai Air Show. The plane maker also won its largest ever order in terms of value for 70 A350 XWBs and 11 A380s from Emirates Airline. In addition, it received 132 commitments from three customers. Demand for the A350 XWB was very strong with a total of 80 firm orders from two customers. In addition to the Emirates order for 70 aircraft, Airbus received a firm contract from Yemenia for ten A350s.

Bloomberg.com: Airbus Plans 900-Seat Superjumbo; Emirates Would Buy - by Andrea Rothman and Laurence Frost

For the complete report from Bloomberg.com click on this link

Airbus SAS plans to build a 900- seat version of its A380 superjumbo. Emirates, the aircraft's biggest customer, said it would buy the new model. Airbus will begin developing an A380 ``stretch'' after the standard plane reaches full production in 2010, Chief Operating Officer John Leahy said in an interview.

The stretched superjumbo, to be designated the A380-900, would be developed once the current edition reaches its maximum build rate of 40 planes a year in 2010, Leahy said. The new jetliner would enter the market around 2015, he said.The biggest Arab airline would fit out the plane to carry 750 passengers on a typical flight, Clark said. Routes to countries such as Thailand and Saudi Arabia, destination of the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage, would even support a 1,000-seater plane, though airports might struggle to cope, he said.

Forbes.com: Airbus wins 25 A320 aircraft order from US lessor Aviation Capital Group

For the complete report from Forbes.com click on this link

Airbus wins 25 A320 aircraft order from US lessor Aviation Capital Group

EADS unit Airbus has won an order for 25 A320 family aircraft from US-based aircraft lessor Aviation Capital Group (ACG).

Airbus overtakes Boeing with 680 firm orders in first half 2007 - UPDATE - Forbes.com

For4 the complete report from Forbes.com click on this link

Airbus overtakes Boeing with 680 firm orders in first half 2007

Airbus took 680 firm orders in the first half of 2007, according to figures published on its website today, and has overtaken US rival Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) which notched up 544 orders for the year to July 3.

Of the 680 orders received in the first half of the year, 392 were for Airbus' medium-range aircraft and 279 for its long-range jets (152 for the A350, including 141 at the Paris Air Show, and 127 for the A330 and A340).